Science Media Centre

At the Agricultural and Horticultural Outlook summit in Wellington this week, politicians and scientists explored the coming challenges faced by the farming sector. Radio New Zealand has been reporting back from the gathering, where high profile individuals have raised important questions for the future of agriculture and horticulture in New Zealand. From Radio New Zealand: [...]

Landcare Research has announced its plans to use at least two species of dung beetle to improve New Zealand’s environment. The beetles, currently in quarantine, will be used in New Zealand paddocks to quickly incorporate dung back into the soil, improving soil quality, minimising river pollution, and possibly reducing emissions. Media coverage: Press: Beetles may [...]

In order to help farmers make the best greenhouse gas mitigation choices, NIWA scientists are travelling the country to learn more about how paddocks emit these gases. The study will include  looking at the effectiveness of chemical sprays currently used to decrease nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural land. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Farmer [...]

Eloise Gibson writes in the New Zealand Herald about research which showed that, given the choice, birds preferred ‘conventional’ over organically grown seeds. The research suggested it could be due to the higher protein levels of the non-organic seeds, but also made it clear that other impacts, such as environmental impact of farming chemicals, had [...]

Neal Wallace writes in the Otago Daily Times about comments by a former science leader that the current science funding system is preventing science research being passed on to farmers. He also criticised the propensity for CRIs to enter into commercial alliances, saying it, too, harmed technology transfer. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Jock [...]

Neal Wallace of the Otago Daily Times writes about warnings that NZ’s pasture-based farming system might have to change. Stephen Goldson, AgResearch’s chief scientist and the vice-president of the Royal Society of New Zealand has said that pastoral farming may have reached its upper limits, in terms of production, and that new strategies such as [...]

Neal Wallace of the Otago Daily Times on the increasing pressure felt by farmers to lessen their environmental impact. However, AgResearch social scientist Dr Neels Botha says that current systems are inadequate for supporting farmers in this, and that systems will need to improve as pressure intensifies. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Dr Botha [...]